Reader exam

1.Can you summarize the book in two minutes?

The story starts when the chairman of Elgood Ceramics, Dick, comes at the police office to talk with Peter Pascoe (Inspector and detective) because he feels that Patrick Aldermann killed Blumer and Eagles (two employers of Elgood Ceramics) and Dick thinks that Patrick wants to kill him too, so the inspectors (Pascoe and Dalziel) started to investigate.

Actually, Patrick and his family live in his greats- uncle’s house and the most important thing in his life is his garden of roses.

Ellie (Pascoe’s wife) and Daphne (Patrick’s wife) become friends. But Daphne gets angry with Ellie because she is the wife of the inspector who investigates her husband. After, the two women solved their problems.

But moreover, there are more deaths around Patrick: the mysterious death of Reverend Somerton (Daphne's father), the buyer of the house of Rosemont (Patrick loves this house, and actually lives here) and their workmates.

During the investigation the detectives discover that Daphne has a relationship with Dick, so this is one of the reasons for Patrick to want to kill him. But after, they break off.

Also, the policemen discovered that the will of the Mr.Florence Aldermann was change and also that Eddie Aldermann was Patrick’s really father. Dick Elgood wants to meet Patrick and (fer-li sentatge) because he has a will that could be interesting to him.

On day, Dick makes a party and invites all of his friends (Patrick and the policemen are also here). Some days later, someone finds the death body of Dick Elgood.

Patrick kills him with a ladder and the other people, but the police can’t discover him because they haven’t any (proves) and all crimes seams an accident.

2.Is there a mystery sentence or a turning point in the story?

Yes. When Mr.Pascoe went to talked with Herbert Capstick to talked about Patrick Aldermann.

The two men were talking when Mr.Capstick said: Patrick said the old must give way to the new, but the new must deserved their place. This is a turning point in the story because it may means that Patrick was the murder and he did this to replace his workmates because his goal was to do their work.

3.When and where does the story take place?

The story takes place at the end of the 20 century in Rosemont.

4.Who are the main characters in the story? What’s their role?

Patrick Aldermannà He’s a handsome man, who is married with Daphne and had two sons: David and Diana. His hobby is to look after  his garden of roses, but he’s implicated in some cases of murder.

When he was a child he lives with his mother and his great-aunt, Florence, because she was ill and his great-uncle (name) still died.

After Mrs.Florence death, Patrick was implicated in some murders: first of all, the buyer of the Rosemont’s house; secondly, the Reverend Somerton death and after, the death of the employers of Elgood Ceramics.

5.Choose one character (main or secondary) and describe him/her.

Daphneà She’s the typical wife submitted to her husband. She has two sons: David and Diana and she get married when she was 17 with Patrick Aldermann. Her father doesn’t happy about the marriage. 

Her parents died: her mother died when she was a child and her father was death because a stone falls on him.   

She lives like all the people want to live and she feels very happy with her family but, to tell the truth, she really doesn’t know her husband.

6.Can you identify with any character? Why?

No I can’t. Because the characters of the story behaviour depending of the deaths that happened.

7.Choose your favourite moment in the story.

My favourite moment on the story is when everybody was happy in the Dick’s party on the cottage and all seem to be good: Daphne is very happy with Patrick and their relation is so good, Daphne and Ellie are very good friends, Patrick and Dick also are friends, everybody is swimming on the beach…

And, in my opinion, this is the only good moment on the story.

8.Which new key words have you learnt to understand the story?

This book has a high level. But, I don’t have to look for a lot of words, only some, because I often understand the words depending on their context.

The new words for me are: bloody, blue moon, bush, flu, nose around, wander, will…

9.Provide an alternative ending.

The ending of the novel doesn’t like me so much, because the police and investigators don’t know anything about Patrick murders.

So, in my opinion, the end of the story

10.Would you recommend this book? Why?

Yes, but it depends on the person. Personally, I’m a very fearful person, so in some moments, I have a little bit fear. But if the people who read this book love crime and mystery stories, they will enjoy it a lot.